This invention relates to an embroidering system comprising one or more of embroidering machines connectable to a single control unit adapted to electronically control operation of the embroidering machines in an independent manner.
In recent years such systematic arrangement for producing embroidery stitches on a fabric has been remarkably developed along with electronization of ordinary sewing machines. The control unit includes a memory capable of storing data necessary to produce a number of different patterns of embroidery stitches on the fabric which is supported and stretched within an embroidery frame mounted on the machine deck. When several pattern combinations of embroidery stitches are to be sequentially produced by the respective embroidering machines connected to the control unit, the operator will manipulate key arrangements on the control unit to select the stitch control data and register the same in the memory. The stitch control data thus stored is read out from the memory and transferred to the embroidering machines each time one sequential set of the selected pattern combinations has been produced on the fabric. This manner of operation will require the operator to keep constant watch on the embroidering machine conditions, and once stitching operation of one sequential pattern combination is over, he must come to the control unit so that the stitch control data of another pattern combination to be next produced will be transferred to the embroidering machines. Moreover, the operator will also be required to take care not to transfer the stitch control data which is over-sized rather than data corresponding to the maximum stitchable area of the embroidering machines to which the said data are to be transferred.
Another approach is to transfer several sets of embroidering stitch control data to the embroidering machines, among which the operator can sequentially select as desired by key manipulation at the embroidering machines This will require a large capacity memory in the respective embroidering machines, increasing costs and impairing space-availability.